An excerpt from Russell Simmons’ new book The Happy Vegan: A Guide to Living a Long, Health, and Successful Life.

I’ve met people who said they tried a vegan diet, but claimed it didn’t stick. They were committed for a moment, but then drifted back to their old (bad) habits. They might blame their relapse on a number of factors—time, money, taste, acceptance—but I don’t buy those excuses. To me, it all comes down to mindfulness. When you can approach your entire life—not just your diet—mindfully, you’re going to be able to make the right decisions and stick to them. When you’re distracted, it’ll always be an uphill battle.

We talk about states of consciousness like enlightenment, Nirvana, and Christ consciousness as if they were almost unattainable goals, but the truth is you already possess them in your heart. You just have to remember to access them. Yoga, meditation, and a plant‑based diet will help you do that.

Nirvana, and Christ consciousness as if they were almost unattainable goals, but the truth is you already possess them in your heart. You just have to remember to access them. Yoga, meditation, and a plant‑based diet will help you do that.

Stepping out of a yoga class after spending an hour sweating and twisting, you can suddenly have a sense of being alive like you’ve never experienced before: When you say, “Oh my god, what an amazing experience” and feel like you’re awake for the first time. For example, you can spend twenty minutes meditating and actually feel your mind reboot. Or eat one healthy meal and realize that you prefer feeling lifted up instead of slowed down.

To be clear, yoga, meditation, and a plant‑based diet are all helpful on their own. But when you can combine all three practices into your lifestyle, it’s going to speed up your evolution significantly.

No matter how old you are, or what you do, your goal should be to move through life in the most graceful and least harmful way possible. That’s it. Yoga promotes this. Too many of the other physical practices that are popular in America don’t.